What drives 'drug-induced homicide' prosecutions in North Carolina?

A study conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University found that prosecutors in North Carolina believe that "drug-induced homicide" (DIH) laws are effective in reducing drug overdoses and curtailing the distribution of illicit drugs. However, there is no evidence to support these beliefs, and there is evidence that DIH prosecutions actually make people less likely to call emergency services during an overdose and may increase the number of overdoses in a community. The study also found that the factors that normally predict prosecutions for other crimes do not seem to apply to DIH prosecutions, creating uncertainty about what drives prosecutorial decision-making in these cases. The researchers suggest that further research should be conducted to understand DIH prosecutorial decision-making in other jurisdictions. [Extracted from the article]